


Skeletons in the Closet

by impsy



Series: What's done is(n't) done. [1]
Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Secrets, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-16 00:18:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/533388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impsy/pseuds/impsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miles knows better than anyone that some things should be left in the past. [Post-"The Plague Dogs]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skeletons in the Closet

**Author's Note:**

> Or, "It’s Hard to Tell Your Niece About that Time You Boned the Militia Leader Who Killed Her Father and Kidnapped Her Brother" (courtesy of my roommate, who suggested that when I asked for a title).
> 
> Dedicated to the other awesome Miles/Monroe fans on tumblr. Hope you all enjoy. :)

"Charlie's been asking me about you."

Miles was tempted to roll his eyes, but kept them fixed on the whetstone and the deadly-sharp edge of his sword. Charlie was talking to Aaron, talking quietly and mourning their friend, and sitting far enough away that she couldn't hear Nora. Nate, or whatever his name was, had been tied to a tree about the same distance away in the opposite direction until Miles could figure out what the hell to do with him.

Just because they had some privacy didn't mean he was going to grace Nora's comment with a reply.

Unfortunately, his lack of response didn't deter her from sitting down on the ground next to him and attempting to continue the conversation. "She asked me if I knew why you worked with Monroe. And it's not the first time she's asked," she added with a pointed look. "I told her it's not my story to tell and to ask you." 

"Yeah, well, you're right about that." He gestured in the general direction of "away" and hoped she'd get the hint. "Thanks for the heads up. Now if you don't mind, I'm a little-"

"Then  _maybe_..." She drew the word out, ignoring his protest. "You could, I don't know, think about talking to her yourself?"

He focused intently on the blade in front of him, not giving up yet. "And why the hell would I do something like that?"

"She's worried about you, Miles." She glared at him, and he tried to stop himself from scooting further away from her. The last time they'd talked about Bas... Well, he was just glad he wasn't naked this time. And that Nora was unarmed.

Hopefully.

"You won't talk to her, so she's coming to me. She's a nice enough kid, but I dealt with your Monroe-inspired teenage angst for long enough, Miles. I'm not fucking explaining it to her, especially when you can do it yourself." 

His knuckles went white around the hilt of his sword and he told himself firmly to calm the hell down, but his heart ignored him. "What am I supposed to tell her?" he snapped.

"Uh, maybe the truth?" she suggested, with an obvious "moron" left unspoken. "She's your niece, Miles, I'm sure she'd understand. And she's a teenager, or close enough. I guarantee she'll understand your angsty bullshit a lot better than I do." He glanced up at her, and she just raised one eyebrow at him. "Who knows, she might even feel bad for you." 

"Yeah, the truth would go over real well." He snorted. "Charlie's great at thinking about things logically and not having a fucking meltdown when she finds out something she doesn't like."

"At least after she got over it, she'd get  _why_  you don't want to talk about it and leave the past the hell alone. Maybe give her the Cliff Notes and she can put it together. She's smart, she'll get it." 

"She was pissed when she found out I started the militia. If she knew we-"

He cut himself off, shaking his head slightly, and turned back to his sword. 

Nora moved a bit closer so he couldn't avoid looking at her. "Just tell her the other stuff. You were friends, served together for years, blah blah blah. Just, maybe don't mention- that."

He barked a bitter laugh. "Kind of hard to avoid. That's the whole reason..." He trailed off.

But she understood. "The whole reason you stuck around so long?" Nora's mouth quirked in a half-smile filled with so much understanding and caring bullshit that Miles's face twisted in anger as he turned away. 

"Don't you fucking pity me. I don't need it. Or deserve it. It's my own damn fault."

"Damn right it is," Nora replied without hesitation. "So man up and tell Charlie what happened so we can get it over with, start dealing with it, and move the fuck on."

He huffed a laugh and met her eyes. "And why should I trust you on this?"

"Hey, you're the idiot who fell in love with Monroe, so clearly you can't trust  _you_  on this." She grinned to take some of the sting out, and Miles suppressed the ache at her words and forced a chuckle.

"Fair enough."

"Besides, you can't possibly make it  _worse_."

"You'd be surprised," he muttered, but nodded. "Fine, I'll talk to her. Just... give me some time to figure out what the hell to say." He ran a hand through his hair and longed for the days of hot showers.

Nora nodded once, satisfied by this answer. "Good. Just don't drag your feet too much. I'm not babysitting your niece just 'cause you've got skeletons you'd rather keep in the closet."

She grinned, amused at her own wordplay, and he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

She strolled over to join Aaron and Charlie on the other side of the camp, and he watched her go, his sword and whetstone hanging from his hands before dropping them to the ground and sighing. Resting his elbows on his knees and leaning on his hands, he covered his eyes, blocked out the world, and wondered how the hell he was supposed to tell Charlie any part of the truth he'd been running from for the past five years.


End file.
